The Rossi & JJ Alphabet Series
by VanInBlack
Summary: Series of one-shots centering around the JJ/Rossi pairing.
1. A: Ankle

**The Rossi/JJ-Alphabet-Series**

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><p><em><strong>AN: This series of one-shots & drabbles is dedicated to ilovetvalot/Tracia! You're doing a great job with everything on here and over on FB and you deserve some special JJ/Rossi treats. **_

_**Here's how I'm planning to do this series: Each chapter will contain a one-shot/drabble using one part of the human body as a prompt (i.e. this chapter: a = ankle). I'll try to get through the whole alphabet, though I might use some letters more than once. I've already made a list with anatomic features of the human body (male + female), but there are still a few letters I couldn't think of any prompt. These are: D, G, J, O, Q, X, Y, Z. If anybody could help me out with these, I'd be eternally grateful, if not, I might just skip these letters. **_

_**All of the stories will center around the JJ/Rossi pairing and will probably stand alone. I'll mark any stories that will interlink. The ratings will go from K through M, but I'll make sure to mark anything that goes beyond a T with a clear warning. **_

_**All right, enough said, on with the first story. **_

_**Enjoy, and let me know what you think! **_

_**Disclaimer: CM and its characters don't belong to me, I'm not making money with it, I'm just playing around. **_

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><p><em><strong>A = Ankle<strong>_

Ever since her highschool and college soccer days, JJ knew how much a sprained ankle could hurt. She had managed quite a few of those injuries over the course of those years. Since she'd joined the Bureau, however, she'd luckily been spared and had almost forgotten how painful ankle injuries could be.

Until an hour ago. What had possessed her to go for a run in the dark after returning home from work she'd never know.

She should have known better, especially in her field of work, how dangerous it could be for a young woman to be out in the dark by herself. Even if she knew how to defend herself. Luckily for her that wasn't needed tonight.

But while she was already on her way back home, she managed to trip over something she couldn't make out exactly. Slipping away with her left foot, she could literally count the milliseconds until the expected sharp pain pierced her foot and her butt landed on the floor. She cursed loudly and tried to get up again right away, only her foot had other ideas.

She could feel her ankle swell up and knew she wouldn't be able to walk home by herself.

"Damn it!" she hissed sharply, angry with herself.

Spending the upcoming weekend on her couch had not been what she'd had in mind. Henry was spending the whole week with his father in New Orleans, so JJ had actually planned to make the most of her free time by cleaning the house, treat herself to a shopping trip to the mall and other things a single woman could come up with.

As if on cue, her cell phone began to rang while she still thought of the easiest way to get off the cold concrete of the street.

She didn't even have to check the display to know it was Rossi, and her heart suddenly felt a lot lighter, not to mention that it also started to beat a lot faster. He was the only one who had that kind of effect on her.

Over the course of the last few months, ever since she and Will had split, he had developed a kind of sixth sense when it came to her being in trouble or having a problem, be it a flat tire on her car in the middle of a dark country road or a credit card that refused to work properly while she didn't have enough cash with her at a gas station. He'd always call exactly when she needed him.

"I swear, your sixth sense is getting creepy," she answered the phone without an initial greeting.

She could hear Dave's amused chuckle on the other end of the line.

"You're in trouble again?"

"I... uh... am in a little predicament here, so to speak," she replied slowly.

"What happened this time?" he wanted to know.

"Well, I went out for a run-"

"What?" Dave interrupted her immediately. "Now? In the dark? It's after nine!"

"Yes, now!" JJ answered defiantly upon hearing his disapproval. "I'm a big girl, I can look out for myself."

"Apparently not, or you wouldn't be in whatever predicament you currently are," Dave retorted. "Start talking, and do it fast! Where are you? What's going on?"

"I slipped, probably on a wet leaf or something, and I kinda twisted my left ankle a bit."

"What does 'a bit' mean, Jen?" Dave bit out impatiently, already grabbing his car keys and getting out of the house.

"A bit as in I'm having trouble getting up from the floor because my foot hurts like hell."

"What else hurts?"

"Nothing. I'm fine otherwise."

"Damn it, woman, I swear you're gonna be the death of me one day!" Dave cussed heavily into the phone. "I hope you have your gun with you."

"I do, Rossi, no need to get bitchy."

"Stay on alert, babe. You never know who's walking around the streets at this time of the night. Where are you?"

JJ told him where to find her and was not-so-secretly glad that he was coming. If there was anyone she'd want to see tonight, then it was him. Even if he was in overprotective alpha-male mode again.

"I'm on my way, Jen. Just stay put and be careful. I'll be there in ten minutes."

.~.~.

When he arrived at the place of JJ's misfortune, he let out a relieved breath when he saw her sitting on the sidewalk, seemingly safe and sound except for the injury on her foot. He practically jumped out of his SUV and ran over to her, kneeling down in front of her.

"You okay?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, it's just my ankle." _And my pride_, she added silently.

He checked her out from head to toe anyway, just to make sure and calm his nerves, before tending to her foot. Carefully taking off her shoe, he laid a soothing hand on her shoulder when she winced with pain. Her foot felt almost twice as big as normal due to the swelling, but at least it didn't seem broken from what he could feel.

"All right, let's get you up." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up with him, holding her close for a few more seconds just to make sure she was okay, and he couldn't stop himself from dropping a small kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"What were you thinking going out alone in the middle of the night?" He scolded her gently.

He knew he could never really be angry with her, despite the fact that she almost gave him a heart attack, but his over-protectiveness always broke out immensely when it came to her.

"It's not the middle of the night," JJ tried a weak attempt at defending herself, all the while knowing that he was right.

"Semantics, honey," Dave gave back and guided her into his car. "Do me a favor and don't argue with me on that right now. You won't stand a chance anyway."

They drove in silence for a few minutes until JJ noticed that wherever he was heading, it was not the direction to her house.

"Where do you think you're going, Rossi?" She asked suspiciously.

"To the ER," he replied matter-of-factly. "You have to get your ankle checked out by a doctor."

"Nu uh, I don't think so. I'm fine!" JJ retorted stubbornly. "I'll pack some ice on it and spend the weekend on my couch and on Monday I'll be as good as new."

"Humor me, Jen," was all Dave replied.

It turned out that JJ luckily hadn't suffered any major injury.

"You will have to keep any weight off your foot for the next few day, though," the doctor told her. "And you should walk on crutches for about a week or two, depending on how quickly the swelling goes back. Absolutely no running and no long walks for the next three weeks, and you should be okay by then."

"Damn!" was JJ's reaction. This meant being out of the field for the next few weeks.

"Just see it as a well-deserved break, babe," Dave tried to cheer her up while rolling her out of the hospital in a wheel chair.

"What, desk duty?" JJ bit back sarcastically.

.~.~.

Arriving back at JJ's house twenty minutes later, she had almost fallen asleep. Once she'd been settled in Dave's SUV, she felt all her energy drain from her body and she began to long for her couch, or even better, her bed.

Barely aware that the car had stopped, JJ only opened her eyes when she heard Dave's soft voice close to her ear.

"Jen, sweetheart. We're home."

He'd gone around the car and opened the door on her side.

All of a sudden, he was so close, his presence seemed almost overwhelming. Being half asleep didn't help her sort her thoughts and clear her head.

When he bent over her to help her unbuckle the seat belt, she realized she didn't really want to think at all. He was there and she was comfortable. Anything else could wait until the morning.

"Come on, honey, let's get you inside," Dave whispered gently. "I bet there's a nice, warm bed waiting for you."

Helping her out of the car – careful as to not put pressure on her foot – he acknowledged with satisfaction that her arms automatically wrapped around his neck. He quickly swept her into his arms and carried her inside. As soon as he'd placed her on the couch in the den, his arms felt empty, longing to have her back. Holding her was definitely something he could get used to. His fantasies had told him that a long time ago.

The growing attraction between them had been hard to miss and he was sure that JJ was just as aware of it as he was. He had now reached a point where it didn't make sense for him anymore to hold back and be content with just being her friend and he was sure that the upcoming weekend would be enlightening for both of them.

Quickly getting his ever-present overnight bag from his car, he then locked the doors and went back to JJ. Smiling lightly as he watched her curl up on the couch, he remembered her words she'd greeted him with on the phone earlier. It was true, he seemed to have developed a sixth sense when it came to her, though he would rather describe it as a deep connection between two souls.

He wondered if that would sound just as corny as it did in his head if he told her that out loud.

Kneeling down in front of the sofa, he gently began to wake her from her slumber. He would love to watch her sleep for a while, but he knew that she'd get a much better rest in her bed.

"Hey, Jen."

"Hmm." JJ didn't want to open her eyes. She was just about to fall into a deep pleasant sleep, and tried to ignore the disturbance.

"Just stay awake a few more minutes, sweetheart. Your bed is much more comfortable."

Dave's voice seemed to be far away and JJ had to bring up all her willpower to pry her eyes open.

Her heart almost stopped when she looked directly into his face only inches away from hers. She wasn't really sure if this was all just a dream or if it was truly happening, but for all she knew, she couldn't care less at the moment. If Dave Rossi was going to be there with her tonight - be it in a dream or for real – she was more than willing to give in.

Reaching out, she brought her arms around his neck again and buried her face in his shoulder. He smelled wonderful and she vaguely remembered that she hadn't had a shower after her run and he would probably not be able to say the same thing about her. She was too lazy and too tired to act on the thought, though. She'd apologize to him in the morning if he was still there and if it hadn't just been a dream.

She felt herself being lifted up again, and moments later made contact with the soft cushions on her bed.

"Pajamas, babe?" Dave muttered into her hair before he let go of her.

Seeing JJ shake her head, he reckoned that she could sleep in her running gear for one night. After taking off her shoes, he checked her foot once again to make sure the bandage was still in place and she was as comfortable with it as possible and then gently tucked her in and turned to leave.

"Don't go," JJ murmured softly, her clear blue eyes, heavy with sleep, staring directly into his.

She never looked more beautiful to him and he knew he'd be a fool if he turned down this offer.

Quickly toeing off his shoes, he took off his jeans and his jacket before climbing under the covers next to her.

They automatically gravitated towards one another, him reaching to pull her close, while JJ made herself comfortable in his arms. Dave carefully made sure not to trap her injured foot between his legs and tucked her safely against him to keep her warm. He knew that, come tomorrow, their lives would change – in a very good way.

There was a distinct feeling in the air that for the first time they were both doing everything right.

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><p><em>AN²: Please don't forget to nominate all of your favorite stories for the **~*~ Profiler's Choice 2011 Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds Community ~*~** The nomination ballot and the rules are posted on Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum. (This serves also as a reminder to myself to complete my own ballot... will get to that sometime this week)._


	2. B: Brain

**A/N: Many, many thanks for all the reviews for the first chapter! Special shout-outs to, _Daisyangel, SunnyInOregon _and_ CaliforniaWriter _for their prompts of the letters I had been missing. THANK YOU!**

**Here's chapter 2, finally. Enjoy everyone! Oh, and if you haven't seen it yet, please note that this is sort of a post-ep to last week's episode "Snake Eyes", so there are some spoilers in it! **

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><p><strong>The RossiJJ-Alphabet-Series **

**B = Brain **

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><p>It had been a successful day for the BAU team, well, sort of. They couldn't keep their Unsub from committing suicide, but at least they had been able to save his wife and her sister. Now they could get everything wrapped up and get ready to fly back home to Quantico.<p>

JJ knew she should be relieved that they had taken another criminal off the streets. That, however, was as far from her thoughts as it could be at the moment.

Huffing angrily, she shoved all her belongings into her duffel bag, not bothering to fold her clothes properly.

"You know, if you clench your teeth any harder you'll push them through your jaw," her roommate Emily commented, slightly amused by her behavior.

"Don't you have your own bag to pack, Emily?" JJ shot right back.

"I'm already done," Emily grinned, holding up her packed bag as proof.

"Hmpf," was JJ's only reply to that.

"So, tell me, JJ, you and Rossi?" Emily started to question her then, clearly excited about the idea that two of her co-workers seemed to be a little closer lately than they had before.

"Don't mention his name!" JJ immediately bit out, her tone furious.

As if on cue, there was a sharp knock on their hotel room door and the colleague in question called from outside, "JJ, Emily, you ready?"

"We're almost done!" Emily yelled back and intended to open the door for him.

"Don't let him in!" JJ hissed and held her back. "The last thing I want to see right now is his face!"

"Come on, don't be ridiculous. We're about to fly back home. In the confined space of our jet nonetheless. You won't be able to avoid him for the next few hours anyway."

"Which is why I need those next few minutes to be asshole-free!"

"Fine," Emily conceded. "We'll be right down!" She shouted to Rossi.

Turning back to JJ, she began again.

"All right, don't you think you're overreacting a little bit?" she asked.

"Overreacting?" JJ shrieked. "Should I be overjoyed with happiness that David Rossi suddenly behaves like a brainless fool with a hero-complex?"

"JJ, he had to go into that house to save the two women," Emily tried to argue, but JJ vigorously shook her head.

"Without Kevlar and gun? You've gotta be kidding me! Reid was right to bring up his age! Only I would say that at his age, he must have forgotten how to use his brain. Or maybe he has left it at home entirely."

Before JJ could talk herself into a rage, Emily interrupted her and threw in, "You wouldn't be half as agitated if Morgan or even Hotch had done the very same thing."

"That's because Morgan generally has a thing for suicidal actions and Hotch suffers from the same delusion every once in a while. But Rossi has never been like that. He has never taken any unnecessary risks. He doesn't drive around in ambulances equipped with bombs, or runs into burning buildings ready to explode, or tries to talk heavily armed kids down in the middle of the street with no Kevlar on. Rossi's the only one I thought I wouldn't have to worry about."

"JJ, you know that's not entirely true. We're all living on the edge in our line of work. We worry about each other all the time. "

"Emily, I get that he'd leave his gun outside. No unnecessarily antagonizing the Unsub. What I don't understand is why he took off his freaking vest before he went in! It's not like the guy didn't know that he was law enforcement." JJ got more and more worked up.

"What Rossi did wasn't any riskier than Morgan's, Hotch's or Reid's actions," Emily replied. "The only reason you're so much more worried about him is that you're in love with him."

"Damn right I am," JJ confirmed, the words leaving her mouth before she could even realize what she was saying. When she did, she felt herself blushing deeply. "Well, shit."

"No kidding," Emily smirked. She had exactly the answer she was looking for. "So, how long has this been going on between the two of you?"

Instead of an answer JJ preferred to busy herself with finishing up packing. Of course, she knew Emily would never let it go.

"Done," JJ announced a minute later, pulling the zipper of her bag closed.

"I know what you're doing, Jayje, and it's not working," Emily said. "Sooner or later I'm getting my answer."

Sighing deeply, JJ rolled her eyes and gave in.

"Fine. Three months. And it's not what you think."

The two women walked through the hallway to the elevators.

"What am I thinking?" Emily returned.

"We're just friends," JJ said.

"Uh huh, tell that to your grandmother, she might believe you," Emily retorted.

"It is what it is," JJ insisted. "If you want to believe it or not."

Emily stopped in her tracks.

"You mean, you and him, you've never...?" she asked incredulously.

JJ shook her head. "As I said, we're strictly friends. No benefits."

"Why?" Emily couldn't believe it. Why would she pass up a chance like that? "You're in love with him!"

Seeing Emily raise her eyebrows in question, JJ elaborated.

"We began seeing each other outside of work shortly after his wife, well, ex-wife died. He made it clear from the beginning that he wasn't interested in anything beyond friendship."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? He's still grieving and after Will, I'm honestly not that interested in a new relationship either. It's good the way it is."

"But you love him!" Emily repeated.

"Enough that I would never ask anything of him that he's not willing to give," JJ replied. "And now, can we please change the subject, another thing I'm not interested in is broadcasting my feelings to the whole team."

They arrived down in the lobby where their male teammates were already waiting for them.

"What took you so long?" Morgan wanted to know.

"Girl talk," Emily simply answered.

~.~.~

"What's wrong with JJ?" Hotch asked Rossi as they were riding to the airport together.

JJ had quickly slipped into the second SUV with Morgan, Reid and Emily in an attempt to avoid Dave for as long as possible.

"Don't know," Rossi answered shortly and continued to stare out the window.

Hotch eyed him from the side, clearly not convinced with this answer.

"Is there anything going on between you and her that I should know about?"

"No." The tone in Rossi's reply made it clear that he was absolutely not up for a conversation at the moment.

Usually, Hotch would respect this, but what with JJ's and Reid's struggling friendship after Emily's return and the fact that it took a while for the team to mend the fractures it had suffered in the past year, he didn't need a new conflict among his subordinates.

"Start talking. Now."

"There's nothing to tell," Dave insisted. "I haven't slept with her if that's what you're afraid of."

"But you want to," Hotch said.

"Doesn't matter what I want. I've made it very clear that that wasn't an option. And I don't think that after her breakup with LaMontagne she's interested anyway."

"You're in love with her," Hotch stated matter-of-factly.

"Don't be ridiculous," Dave dismissed him. He wasn't, was he? Somehow, he wasn't so sure about that anymore.

"Whatever you're doing, Dave, I'm warning you now. If you hurt JJ-"

"I would never hurt JJ!" Rossi interrupted him, daring Hotch to question his words.

Hotch smiled to himself. He knew his friend would never do anything to cause her pain, because despite what three failed marriages might suggest, David Rossi was a good man. One that would rather deny himself to be happy if it meant protecting the person he loved.

"Well, you've definitely pissed her off today, and I suggest you fix it."

"I will," Dave agreed quietly.

"While we're at it, what the hell possessed you to take off your vest before you went into that house?"

"Pot meet kettle," Dave only retorted dryly.

Hotch shook his head. His friend had a point.

"I figured he'd be more easily accessible if I didn't wear anything that shouted Feds. You would have done the same. Oh, what am thinking, you _did_ the same! It was the best shot we had."

"Try to convince JJ of that."

"She knows it, too. She's just... I don't know."

Hotch noticed Dave's hesitation. He'd seen his two colleagues interact with each other over the past few months and he knew that something was going on between them, even though they hadn't realized it themselves yet. This day's events and the conversation with Dave just confirmed his suspicions.

He knew he should be careful with two of his subordinates fraternizing under his command, but he couldn't stop himself from being happy for them. If there were two people who deserved some lasting happiness in their lives then it was his best friend and the woman he'd come to love like the little sister he never had.

Now if only they would open their eyes and see what was right in front of them. He wanted to give Dave another nudge in the right direction, but they arrived at the airfield and their talk was finished.

~.~.~

JJ shot Dave a warning glare to stay away from her as she climbed the stairs to their jet. She immediately went for the couch in the back and stretched out, making it clear that she didn't want any company during the flight.

Dave sighed an sat down next to Morgan and opposite to Reid and Prentiss. He noticed Emily look like she wanted to say something to him, but indicated with a small head-shake that he rather be left alone right now as well.

Morgan and Reid, luckily, were far too oblivious as to what was happening around them. Reid was still too giddy about the fact that he was finally allowed into a casino again, even if it wasn't Las Vegas, and Morgan was mulling over Garcia's recent aloofness.

Leaning back, Dave closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep. He had to realize soon though, that that wasn't going to happen.

He couldn't get the image of JJ out of his mind, the shocked adn disapproving look on her face when he took off his Kevlar and went into the house unprotected. A look he had only ever gotten from his mother before, back in his hometown Commack, when he was a ten year old boy. He had been thinking it was an awesome idea getting pulled through traffic on his roller-blades by hanging onto the back of a truck. To this day, he thought it was a minor miracle that his Mama had ever let him see the daylight again.

And much like he had known back then that he never wanted to give his beloved mother that much grief again, he felt right now that JJ didn't deserve that kind of sorrow either.

Sure, their job was dangerous, but that didn't mean he had to take any unnecessary risks. If JJ had done what he had, he'd have been beside himself with worry. He probably would have restrained her to keep her from going into that house. At least had she decided to do it without a bulletproof vest.

Accepting that he wouldn't get any sleep at this point he decided to get some ideas for his next book down. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that unlike him, almost everyone else had fallen asleep. Only Hotch was still awake, and, judging from the content smile of his face, was watching videos of Jack over his laptop.

Looking over to where JJ was lying, the same gentle smile made it to his own face. She was curled up on the sofa, the book she'd been reading had fallen on the floor when she fell asleep over it. She looked peaceful and more relaxed than earlier, but her concern was still evident on her face.

Dave watched her for a while.

Letting his mind wander to all the times they'd spent together over the last few months, he realized that what Hotch had said back in the car was spot on.

He was in love with her.

Aside from when he spent time with Hotch and Jack, he was most himself when he was with her.

With JJ he didn't have to worry about appearances, or making sure he didn't say anything wrong. With her he could just be Dave, he could smile and laugh about the silliest things. Her friendship meant everything to him, and now he wished deep down that the concern she had for him was more than a friend worrying about another friend.

Why had he so clearly insisted that being friends was all he wanted from her? What would she say if he told her now that he'd changed his mind? That friends only wasn't enough anymore?

Seeing her shiver in her sleep he stopped his contemplation.

Without thinking about it, he got up from his seat, grabbed one of the blankets stashed behind it and walked over to her, ignoring Hotch's watchful gaze and the knowing smile on his face.

He knelt down next to her and gently draped the blanket over her. She automatically snuggled into it and pulled it tighter around her body.

Dave had to fight the urge to take her into his arms, but there definitely wasn't enough space on that couch for two people, and he didn't want to wake her to have her sit up.

Watching her again, he couldn't resist brushing the strand of her blond hair out of her face that had fallen into it. Her features visibly relaxed at the tender touch of his fingertips, and he let his hand linger for a moment.

~.~.~

JJ had been awake the moment Dave had sat down next to her. She had only been dozing anyway. Her initial instinct was to sit up and tell him to get his ass back into his own corner, but his presence alone had spread such a warmth in and around her, she almost forgot that she was mad at him.

She was also sincerely grateful when he spread the blanket over her. It wasn't really cold in the jet's cabin, but she did feel chilly just lying there without moving. She was freezing easily these days, anyway, ever since Will had been gone. She missed having someone around, a partner to keep her warm with his presence alone. And it wasn't seldom that she imagined David Rossi filling that void.

There had been moments before, especially recently, that she'd get the feeling Dave wanted to be more than just a friend for her. Moments like these, when his actions spoke loud and clear, and they spoke a completely different language than the words usually coming from his mouth.

Most of the time she didn't get a chance to make sense of it, because they were either called in for a new case or got otherwise caught up.

And it wasn't like she was exactly forthcoming with her feelings either.

She knew she hadn't given him one deliberate clue that she was falling for him. Mentioning Will on every occasion just to prove that she sucked at relationships and didn't need anything like that again surely wasn't hinting at Dave that she might be ready to move on.

God, she definitely needed to change her attitude! Before _he_ was ready to move on with someone else.

But maybe, she didn't have to worry about that.

The feel of his gentle touch against her cheek nearly brought her to tears. If she had any doubts about his feelings for her up until this very moment, this tender gesture convinced her otherwise.

~.~.~

Feeling him stir and try to get up after some minutes, she instinctively reached out her hand to hold him back. Opening her eyes, she met his, filled with obvious surprise.

When he realized that she wasn't angrily going to tell him to back off, he settled back on the floor.

She turned to lay on her side, while he stretched his legs out and leaned his shoulder against the sofa. With an encouraging smile, she took his hand, linking their fingers together.

"JJ-" Dave whispered softly.

Reaching over, she touched a silencing finger to his lips, indicating that she didn't want to talk at the moment.

"We'll talk about everything when we're home, okay?" she said quietly.

Dave nodded. This moment between them was too precious to destroy it with a conversation.

He simply held on to her, relishing how comforting her much smaller hand felt in his, and laid his head on her shoulder.

The floor wasn't all that comfortable, and he knew - at his age - once they were back home his body would curse his decision to sit on the hard ground, but he honestly didn't care right now.

Neither did he care about the questions from their colleagues that would certainly come up once they were all awake again.

He had a distinct feeling that JJ didn't care either and it filled him with relief and also made him feel special. He knew she was usually a rather private person, much like they all were, and remembering how secretive she had been with Will in the beginning, it felt good to know she didn't seem to want to repeat this.

Within minutes both their eyes grew heavier. They had managed to soothe and relax each other with just being next to one another. It didn't take long and they were just as fast asleep as the others, finally getting their well-deserved rest on their journey home.


	3. C: Cheek

_A/N: Thank you very much to everyone for all the wonderful reviews!_

_A quick reminder: The stories in this series are all stand-alone oneshots, just in case anyone was wondering._

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><p><strong>The JJRossi-Alphabet Series**

**C = Cheek**

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><p>"Dance with me."<p>

JJ looked at her fiancé, surprised by his sudden suggestion.

"Come on, Sweetheart, "Dave said, taking her wet hands in his and pulled her away from the kitchen sink.

They'd had dinner together with their two children, much like every night when they weren't out of town for a case, and were now washing the dishes; soft music from the radio was playing in the background.

"Dave, I'm all wet!" JJ protested.

"So what?" He grinned and took her in his arms, moving them gently to the piano ballad that filled the air.

"I'm a mess," she replied, blushing, and buried her face in his neck for a moment. "Let me get cleaned up first."

Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and she was wearing sweatpants and an old t-shirt that had certainly seen better days. But with their thirteen-month-old daughter Lily turning every meal into a challenge, it was the only reasonable choice.

"Nonsense," Dave countered, bringing his cheek to hers. "You look beautiful."

His lips were directly at her ear, softly whispering the words and sending a pleasant shiver all over her body. He always knew how to make her feel good, loved, cherished.

Cheek to cheek they were dancing, swaying to the warm tunes of the song, enjoying this little moment together.

They never needed a lot of words to express their feelings, but as they continued to hold each other when the song was over, the words passed JJ's lips easily.

"I love you," she breathed into his ear.

Their daughter's cries over the baby monitor broke the spell they'd created for the last few minutes.

"I'll get her, you bring Henry up," Dave said, reluctantly releasing JJ from his embrace, but not before he gave her a deep, loving kiss.

"Ti amo, Carissima!"

He brushed another quick kiss into her hair, and then they continued with their nightly routine.

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><p><em>AN²: I still have a poll about one of my stories up on my profile page. If you haven't done so yet and want to cast your vote as to which pairing I should include in my re-write of "Christmas At Home", this is your chance ;). I'll leave the poll open until the weekend, before I start working on the story._


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